[Football] Gareth Bale calls on governing bodies to protect player welfare

[drew]

erm, isnt this the reason for large squads and rotation? upto managers to look after their players.

that said, the actual point of why have a pointless competition squeezed in at the end of the season seems valid. on other hand would they be saying the same if it were warm up friendlies for the WC this June?

Agree with your first point.

As for the second point, the Nations League is a halfway house between major tournaments and meaningless friendlies. It gives managers a chance to try out players without really losing too much kudos if you lose. People used to moan about a friendly where the whole team get's changed at half time. Damned if you do damned if you don't.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Your arguments seemed to be that clubs have to organize more games in order to raise more money to pay players more. Clubs are businesses and I would suggest what they are doing is feeding the fan frenzy for more football. If fans didn't pay for the all the subscriptions that would limit the money available.

And what do the clubs spend those subscriptions on ?

 

[Stat Brother]

No, they use their bargaining power which is very strong. That is not evidence of them not being a part of the problem.

They aren't part of your problem.
They are the obvious result of football begin elevated to something far far beyond just a game.

If you subscribe to Sky Sports you are more of the problem than Bale's wages.

 

[BadFish]

At the level of fitness, concentration and pace, many players play way too many games than is healthy/safe. I agree with this.

Paying them more or less money will not change this. Two separate arguments to my mind.

Bale makes a good point. More should be done to look at the number of fixtures top players are playing.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

They aren't part of your problem.
They are the obvious result of football begin elevated to something far far beyond just a game.

If you subscribe to Sky Sports you are more of the problem than Bale's wages.

I don’t subscribe to Sky Sports so I guess I am not more of a problem than Bale’s wages. Why are player wages the ‘obvious result of football being elevated to something far beyond a game.’ That’s a pretty wild and unsubstantiated statement. Player wages are by far the biggest cost of running a football club and yet you think they are nothing to do with the organization of more and more football matches….

 

[Stat Brother]

I don’t subscribe to Sky Sports so I guess I am not more of a problem than Bale’s wages. Why are player wages the ‘obvious result of football being elevated to something far beyond a game.’ That’s a pretty wild and unsubstantiated statement. Player wages are by far the biggest cost of running a football club and yet you think they are nothing to do with the organization of more and more football matches….

It's not rocket science.
Billionaires buy clubs because of the money already sloshing around the sport.
Money that comes from global TV revenue and sponsorship.
For that cash cow to keep rolling it needs content and superstars.

Superstars aren't working for a wage cap, all the while TV companies and global brands are playing millions upon millions of pounds to be associated.

No matter about your personal feelings towards Bale's previous wages, they are just part of the game.

 

[keaton]

Well, that’s ironic. Many on here seem to have a problem with high earners in business but a blind spot when it comes to footballers. If you have ever criticized pay in finance then you are one of them.
If you read my posts carefully you will see I was highlighting the hypocrisy of players biting the hand that feeds them, that’s all. Someone asked me what I would do about it and I said I would rip the whole thing down and start again. That is not going to happen so we are back to me pointing out hypocrisy. For you to claim there is no link between arranging football matches (for profit) and spiraling player pay is probably an assertion that you could consider backing up.

Not really the same. Footballers are paid from the money generated by football. No-one has to give money to Football.

High pay in finance comes from the population as a whole unless they can somehow become self sufficient and opt out of capitalism

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Agree with your first point.

As for the second point, the Nations League is a halfway house between major tournaments and meaningless friendlies. It gives managers a chance to try out players without really losing too much kudos if you lose. People used to moan about a friendly where the whole team get's changed at half time. Damned if you do damned if you don't.

Managers don’t try any thing out, they flog the same players.

England’s tactic is hope Kane does something, have we seen anything different in these games? Maybe two up front? Different formation? New players - Bowen aside?

 

[LamieRobertson]

The players don't force owners to pay then astronomical sums of money.

Nah they have agents for that

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

It's not rocket science.
Billionaires buy clubs because of the money already sloshing around the sport.
Money that comes from global TV revenue and sponsorship.
For that cash cow to keep rolling it needs content and superstars.

Superstars aren't working for a wage cap, all the while TV companies and global brands are playing millions upon millions of pounds to be associated.

No matter about your personal feelings towards Bale's previous wages, they are just part of the game.

How many football clubs are owned by billionaires ? Real Madrid and Barcelona aren’t. Nor are Brighton, Tranmere etc etc. Once again I don’t have any personal feelings about Bale’s wages. I am simply commenting on the inevitability of having to play football matches if they want ever higher wages.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Looking at the article it mentions KDB as saying the Nations League as “unimportant” I’d agree with that wholeheartedly ..so it seems do the broadcasters ..there’s been hardly any games available to watch on terrestrial tv …Sky blah blah

As regards to Bale . …”he is looking for regular club football next season” (now out of contract)..a guy who has hardly played over the last few seasons….injury yes..out of favour yes..but still willing to sit on the bench or in the stand and earn a fair whack instead of seeking “regular football elsewhere” …not the guy I’d listen to re players welfare

 

[LamieRobertson]

Cut the EPL to 16 teams, get rid of the Caribou Cup ?

Not sure getting shot of the Caribou Cup would actually do anything as regards players welfare…most PL teams play weakened sides until it really matters…then it’ll be only a few teams affected

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Not really the same. Footballers are paid from the money generated by football. No-one has to give money to Football.

High pay in finance comes from the population as a whole unless they can somehow become self sufficient and opt out of capitalism

I am struggling to understand the difference. High pay in finance comes from the money generated by finance. I used to be a part of it. The revenues I generated did not come from the population as a whole. They came from decisions I made. I think what you are talking about are the cash cows of foreign exchange transactions and lending. The former is certainly free money but the latter does not come without risk. With regards to football I am not really making a comment about the rights and wrongs of player pay. Instead I am saying that if wages and fees are going to continue to be such a significant proportion of club costs then they shouldn’t be surprised if they have to play football matches to pay for it.

 

[chaileyjem]

How many football clubs are owned by billionaires ? Real Madrid and Barcelona aren’t. Nor are Brighton, Tranmere etc etc. Once again I don’t have any personal feelings about Bale’s wages. I am simply commenting on the inevitability of having to play football matches if they want ever higher wages.

Many reports have suggested Bloom is a billionaire.

 

[beorhthelm]

looked at the number of games Bale has played last few years. im glad he has such concern for his fellow players.

i've thought of a solution the football governing bodies might go for. limit players games per season. 30 for domestic, 5 for internationals, except WC/EC & equivalents where they can play another 5. wonder if thats the sort of thing Bale and de Bruyne were looking for?

 

[Stat Brother]

How many football clubs are owned by billionaires ? Real Madrid and Barcelona aren’t. Nor are Brighton, Tranmere etc etc. Once again I don’t have any personal feelings about Bale’s wages. I am simply commenting on the inevitability of having to play football matches if they want ever higher wages.

You've changed your tune already.
This is hardly a simple comment on more football equals more wages.

Players and their wages are driving the whole grotesque edifice. Perhaps they could begin by taking pay cuts ?

To me it says far more than you thought you were letting on.


The list of billionaire owners is extensive and if you think that doesn't include The Albion you need to get back in your DeLorean and scroll forward 10 years.

Not only is the list extensive the list of potential billionaire buyers is considerably longer, as proven by Chelsea.


How many players from Tranmere are playing glorified friendlies?
How many of the Tranmere squad are expected back for preseason in a couple of weeks?
How many will be playing in the W/C?


Owners and customers drive players wages.
Not the players or the fans.

 

[Stat Brother]

I am struggling to understand the difference. High pay in finance comes from the money generated by finance. I used to be a part of it. The revenues I generated did not come from the population as a whole. They came from decisions I made. I think what you are talking about are the cash cows of foreign exchange transactions and lending. The former is certainly free money but the latter does not come without risk. With regards to football I am not really making a comment about the rights and wrongs of player pay. Instead I am saying that if wages and fees are going to continue to be such a significant proportion of club costs then they shouldn’t be surprised if they have to play football matches to pay for it.

The scale of the footballers wages come from the decisions they make - you're talking in riddles.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Many reports have suggested Bloom is a billionaire.

And a multi one at that.

What Bale has said maybe true but success leads to more involvement in any sport. Take tennis players, to me the top players are super beings compared to many other sports. Top clubs may play a shed load more games than others but at the same time the personnel are often rotated. It's about game and player management, if every manager had the same opinion as Bielsa then Bale's concerns would be right. As the best manager/coach ever he proved what a complete lack of understanding he had about the welfare of his staff.

 

[keaton]

I am struggling to understand the difference. High pay in finance comes from the money generated by finance. I used to be a part of it. The revenues I generated did not come from the population as a whole. They came from decisions I made. I think what you are talking about are the cash cows of foreign exchange transactions and lending. The former is certainly free money but the latter does not come without risk. With regards to football I am not really making a comment about the rights and wrongs of player pay. Instead I am saying that if wages and fees are going to continue to be such a significant proportion of club costs then they shouldn’t be surprised if they have to play football matches to pay for it.

I'm not aware there's any part of finance or trading that won't have a knock on affect on the public

 

[Swansman]

Well he is right.

The number of games did not increase a lot since the 90s, but the demands are on a different level. Players sprint twice as much today and there's a lot more high intensity actions. If you watch a goal reel from 2005 or something and think about it, you'll quickly discover that half of those goals couldn't be scored today because you don't have that time and space today.

Training sessions are obviously also more intense. Since it was discovered that players perform a lot worse in the next five minutes after doing a sprint, a lot of training is about adapting the bodies of the players to recoverer quicker from high intensity actions... which can only be done by actually doing those actions in training.

Footballers are well paid but its a pretty dangerous job by modern standards. Not many jobs leave you physically unable to go for a jog at 35 but it happens to a lot of footballers.